William Moore Jr. rehearses for his performance in the Rochester City Ballet's "The Nutcracker." Moore, one of the newest members of the RCB, is coming off surgery that put a metal rod in his leg.

Written by

Leah Stacy

When he was 21 years old, dancer William Moore Jr. had a titanium rod surgically inserted into the lower part of his left leg, from his kneecap to his ankle. It took Moore hours to sign the paperwork, but ultimately he had no choice. It was either surgery, or his professional ballet career was over.

"It was life-changing," he said. "My friends were in college, they're out partying, doing this or that, and I have to learn how to walk again."

Watching him dance around the Rochester City Ballet's studios on University Avenue, it's hard to believe he was bedridden for months. Dressed in all black - ...